


Lightning

by xisuthros



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-28 20:35:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5104880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xisuthros/pseuds/xisuthros
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caitlin gets captured and Barry is shot. Angst and feelings burst out, and they both realize how much they mean to one another. (Originally posted on my Tumblr (@xisuthros))</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lightning

Lightning, in its truest form, is a judgment. 

In ancient cultures, lightning was said to be the physical manifestation of the gods’ wrath, the swiftest executioner and the most memorable of warnings towards those that disobey and commit evil acts. It was a symbol of morality, truth, and vengeance. To anyone who witnessed one, a lightning strike was said to remind them of their feeble existence when compared to the rest of creation, that they are nothing in the face of the great beyond. It was theorized that lightning and the fear of the gods helped humanity first create laws against immoral acts, that the symbolism it generated galvanized the human race into checking itself and following a moral code of conduct. For thousands of years lightning has always been there, a sharp reminder that we are still just as small in the universe as ever, and that quick judgment will fall upon those who go against the common laws of morality. For the people of Central City, lightning comes in a much different form. 

Barry raced down the streets of the city, his jaw set and his heart beating rapidly. Caitlin was in trouble, and once again it was all because of him. Team Flash had been cracking down on some of the more domestic crimes in the recent dip of metahuman activity, having captured and disbanded many local drug rings that have moved over from Star City. One of the largest ones, run by a man named Antalo, had been nearly completely decimated by a recent run-in with the Scarlet Speedster. Seeking revenge on the loss of his business, Antalo had gone after the one thing that the Flash cared about more than stopping crime; his friends. The drug lord had kidnapped Caitlin just a few hours prior and took her to an abandoned warehouse near the docks. Antalo’s only request was that the Flash come alone, or she would be killed. Without choice and fearing the worst, Barry had sped away towards the warehouse without a second thought. Cursing himself and his lack of ability to defend his friends despite his speed, Barry came to a stop near the location and surveyed his surroundings. 

It was a tall, looming warehouse whose grey paint contrasted against the bright blue sky. It looked like it had been abandoned more than a decade prior, probably because of some failed business venture. The air tasted sharp and metallic, like someone had dropped barrel-loads of chemicals in the area. With a worried sigh, Barry dashed forward and into the building, aware that all of this was probably a trap.

Coming into the wide-open room, Barry’s eyes were immediately drawn to Caitlin, who was zip-cuffed to a metallic chair in the center of the building. She looked exhausted, like she had been trying for hours to be free of her bonds but to no avail. Around her, tattered men with machine guns leered menacingly at her and Barry as he came to meet with Antalo. The drug lord was almost a full foot shorter than him, but had a presence that loomed over everyone else in the room. If he didn’t have his powers, Barry might actually be really afraid of this man. But now, he was more scared for Caitlin, who had finally looked up and noticed him with despair and worry.

“Barry, what are you doing here?” She breathed, her voice cracking and worn like she had spent a long time screaming. With a jolt, he realized bloodstains coming from the side of her shirt. Rage immediately flowed through his body, that they would dare to hurt her made him seriously consider just killing them all here and now, code of conduct be damned. That rage was immediately replaced by sadness when he saw the trip wire surrounding her, paired to an electronic device on the side of the chair. It looked rigged to blow the minute he tried anything.

Following his gaze, Antalo chuckled and looked back at him with a sneer. “Impressive, isn’t it?” He asked, seemingly enjoying the way Barry seemed to almost vibrate with frustration and fear. “I rigged it to be connected to kinetic energy, or more specifically, yours. You move at super speed anywhere within a fifty foot radius of that device, your…most attractive female friend over there will be blown to pieces across the walls.” Caitlin struggled at her restraints again.

“I told you not to come here!” She said, frustrated and continuing to try and break free. “I’m not worth putting yourself or this city in danger because of your absence.” Her eyes met his and Barry’s heart nearly broke from the fear and the desperation in them, anxious to keep him safe and protect the city like she had done for so long. While they hadn’t crossed that line beyond friendship, they both knew that it was there, drawn in the sand and begging to be stepped over. The ache in his heart as he watched her look fearfully at the exchange in front of her was near unbearable. If it took everything he had, he will make sure that she was safe.

Barry turned to Antalo. “What do you want?” He asked.

The drug lord crossed his arms and seemed to assess him. “You’re going to do something for me. Since you’ve run nearly all my branches out of business, I want you to make some deliveries and transport my product to my various customers. Once those are done, I’ll be on my way and you can have your lovely companion here back.” Caitlin shook her head.

“No, Barry don’t trust him! He’ll just go back on his word and kill us both.” One of the men came behind her and put a gag on her mouth at the end of her sentence, and it took all of Barry’s willpower not to rush over there and save her. She sat there, blinking tears away and shaking her head at him.

“Why should I trust you?” The speedster asked. 

Antalo sighed. “Because I’m old enough to remember when crime in this town used to have a code of honor. I may be a criminal, but I always keep my agreements. You have proven to be a very annoying problem, so I’m doing what I do best; turn my problems into assets. You deliver these goods, and I’ll let your friend go. By the time you’re done, I will have been long gone and you’ll never find me again. Trust me, no one survives long in this business without being good at what they do.”

Seeing no other option and desperately wanting Caitlin to be safe, Barry was forced to finally nod in agreement. Antalo clapped his hands and motioned to one of his men. 

“Follow him to the back where the product is. He’ll tell you the location of the drop-off points and you can get to work. I will be leaving as you do so, and any attempt to follow me or try anything funny will result in your friend’s death. Once all the product is delivered, I will make the call and she will be released and we can all live happily ever after.” The drug lord straightened his tie while Barry nodded.

As he walked past Caitlin, she strained against her bonds and attempted to speak, her eyes full of worry. He flashed her a comforting smile, but it only seemed to make her more persistent in her attempts to speak. It looked like she had something important to tell him, but before he had the chance to see what it was, one of the men podded him forward with the end of his gun. Resolve settling on his shoulders, he smiled one last time at her before following the first man out the door and into the back. Barry could continue to hear her struggle and the scrape of the chair against the ground during the journey out. He discreetly pressed a homing beacon on the inside of the palm on his suit, hoping Cisco would get his location and send help eventually.

The speedster made quick work of his deliveries, performing them in less than fifteen minutes, delivering to several cities and states and one foreign country. When he returned to the building and walked back inside the large room, only one man remained next to Caitlin, with a small electronic device in his hand. 

Barry stepped forward and raised his hands. “I did everything your boss wanted. Now fulfill your end of the bargain and let her go.” The man hesitated and seemed to be listening to his comms. 

Finally, he nodded quickly and pressed the button, deactivating the trip wire. Rushing forward, Barry untied Caitlin and held her as she fell shuddering into his arms, her breaths coming quick and shallow. He closed his eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief. She was safe. Everything was going to be okay. 

Pulling back, he felt her wince and remembered her injury. Looking down, he saw the small pool of blood on the floor and marveled at how she was even still conscious. Panic began to set in as he pressed on the wound to suppress the bleeding. She had lost a lot of blood, but if he got her back to STAR Labs in the next hour, she’ll recover in a few weeks. 

Caitlin looked at him through her half-shut eyes, as if she had just woken up from a long slumber. 

“Hey.” She whispered as he took her hand and placed it firmly on her side. “Its okay. I’m okay.” Barry shook his head.

“No, you’re not.” He said, gritting his teeth. “This is my fault. If I was so good at protecting people, I should have been able to protect you. Most of all you.” She used her other hand to run it along his arm comfortingly. 

“This isn’t your fault.” She said, meaning every word. “I chose this life along with you. I wanted to help save this city too and I believe in you.” He blinked amazedly at her, marveling at how he managed to have such a person in his life.” Caitlin winced as she shifted her hand. “Now, let’s get out of here before this life isn’t much of a life anymore.” He smiled at the little tilt in her head as she said it, and wondered not for the first time why he couldn’t find the courage to just ask her out. As he moved to pick her up, Caitlin’s eyes shone with a brilliance that he had never seen before, like she knew some wonderful secret and was desperate to tell him.

The sudden gunshots sliced through the moment like a hot knife in butter. Using his quick reflexes, Barry was able to turn around in time to see the bullets aiming towards Caitlin and himself by the remaining man, who had obviously received additional orders from Antalo. In a split second, Barry moved in front of her and carried her a few feet away from the shots. In that same instant, the door at the far side of the room was kicked open to reveal Joe, who promptly downed the man and rushed forward to them. 

Pain in his side caused him to look down. Though he had protected Caitlin, one of the bullets had pierced him, causing blood to slowly drip down his suit, blending with the already red material. Caitlin seemed to realize he was hurt, because she gasped and tried to reach for him from her position on the floor, even though her own injuries wouldn’t allow it. 

“Barry!” She cried. “Joe, help, Barry’s been shot!” His vision began to swim, and he realized that the bullet must have been laced with a powerful drug capable of downing a speedster. Antalo really loved to cover all his bases. Joe rushed over and stood over him, pulling out his phone for an ambulance while trying to see to both his and Caitlin’s wounds. 

His vision darkening, Barry distinctly remembered Caitlin’s hand finding his own as he sank to the floor, and his ears were filled with her cries for him to stay awake.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caitlin sat in the chair by Barry’s bed as she examined the monitors. After Joe had called in the paramedics, they were able to patch her up and get some more blood in her before getting Barry some medical attention. To protect his identity, Joe had insisted that they leave his mask on while they retrieved the bullet from his side. From there, they had transported the both of them to STAR Labs, where Jay and Cisco were waiting to take them in. 

Caitlin had recovered fairly quickly over the next couple of hours, but Barry had been a different story. The drugs used in the bullet were unlike anything they had ever seen. Jay had theorized that it must have been build specifically for a speedster, as the levels of chemicals in the ballistics were off the charts. His body was attempting to heal, but the drugs acted as a poison, damaging his cells and slowing the process. His heart had stopped twice since his arrival, and her heart had nearly stopped while watching him nearly die. Jay had come up with an antidote to the solution, but now they were waiting for him to regain consciousness. 

With every passing minute of holding his hand and looking worriedly at the monitors, Caitlin became more and more angry. It wasn’t because of the criminals, or her own carelessness and getting caught, it was because of the man lying in the bed in front of her. She greatly admired his courage and selflessness in nearly every other aspect of his life, but taking a bullet for her had awoken something inside her. Something dark and fierce, like a flame in the heart of her soul that refused to die out. She wasn’t angry at his bravery, she was angry because he had given up his safety so quickly for her. He had taken a bullet without even a thought about his own safety. Caitlin stroked his hand with her thumb, but maintained a frustrated expression. 

Did he know how much he meant to her? How much it would have destroyed her if he had died? How could he be so stupid and take risks like that, even if it was for her if it meant that she might have to live without him? As she examined the fire in her heart, she realized that she loved him. It wasn’t a shocking revelation, but one that nonetheless caused her to breathe in slowly and grip his hand a little tighter. They had been toeing that friendship line for a few months now, but it seemed that her heart had other plans. Caitlin gazed softly at his features as he lay there, IVs in his arm and nearly every other injury healed except for the one in his side. The more she looked at him, the more she realized that she was completely, irrevocably, and terribly in love with this man. Even if she killed him for almost dying for her, Caitlin was just grateful that he was here now.

Suddenly Barry’s eyes started fluttering open and she let go of his hand to stand up and hover over him. Green eyes met brown as he slowly became aware of where he was and smiled sleepily at her. Ignoring the wish to be able to see that expression all the time, Caitlin placed on hand on her injured side and tried to look as frustrated as possible. 

“Welcome back to the land of the living.” She said, mock cheerfully. Barry looked at her strangely. “Did we have a good nap?”

He tried to lean up but immediately hissed in pain and lay back down. She resisted the urge to comfort him. A point had to be made here.

“Yeah.” He grunted. “It was great. I think I dreamed of clouds, cause I was seeing a whole lot of white.” A chill went down her spine.

“Yeah, that might be because your heart stopped twice since we got here.” She said, glaring at him and ignoring his small smile. What he was smiling at, she had no idea. 

“You almost died, Barry. Taking a bullet for me, which by the way you will never be doing again.” He stiffened a little at that, then looked her over.

“Are you okay?” He asked softly.

She ignored the feelings his once-over of her ignited. “I’m fine, but don’t you ever do that to me again!” She practically shouted the last part of the sentence, causing him to almost jump.

“You almost didn’t make it out of there Barry. We could have lost you.” She said thickly, emotion latching onto her words. “All because you had to be a hero and take a bullet for me. Next time, don’t put yourself in danger because of me. I’m not worth you getting hurt.” Barry raised his eyebrows.

“Not worth it?” He said incredulously. “You’re completely worth it! I couldn’t have let you die, Caitlin and I would have done whatever to took to ensure that.” She shook her head.

“No.” She said fiercely. “You don’t get to make that kind of call. What happens to Joe or to Iris if you die? What happens to Cisco, Jay, Professor Stein, and all of the rest of Central City if you get killed?” Her voice got quiet as tears began to form in her eyes. “What happens to me? Barry, I can’t watch you die because of me.”

“Do you think you’re alone in that?” He asked. “I can’t live if you had died either, Caitlin. I’m already to blame for getting you kidnapped. I don’t think I would be able to live with myself if I got any one of you guys killed because of me!” Caitlin continued to shake her head. 

“No, you don’t get to do that. It isn’t fair to the rest of us-“ She began, but Barry cut her off.

“Caitlin, I love you!” He said, causing her to immediately stop and openly gape at him as her heart dared to maybe believe what he had just said was true. “And I am always going to protect you, whatever happens, whatever comes our way because that’s what I do.” He paused and tried to avert her gaze, which had softened. “I can’t live if you die, and whether or not you feel the same way about me will never change that the fact that I will always-“ He was cut off as Caitlin surged forward and captured his lips in hers. 

Perhaps it was something about his sacrifice, or his hesitance about whether she felt the same way, or that fire in her soul, but suddenly Caitlin couldn’t stand that line in the sand anymore. She cupped his face with her hand was careful to avoid his wound as she sat down on his bed and leaned into him, deepening the kiss. He was surprised at first but quickly caught on and responded, titling his head and placing a hand on her cheek. His lips were chapped and rough from the warehouse, but Caitlin didn’t care. She poured all her love for him into that kiss, making it abundantly clear how much he meant to her and everything that had come to grow between them since the day they had first met. He responded with the same, his lips moving to show her the level of care he had for her and what he would do to protect her. Breaking apart slowly and with their eyes still closed, Caitlin rested her forehead against his and placed another short kiss to his lips.

“I love you too.” She whispered against him and felt the way his body seemed to trill at her words. 

Smiling and continuing to shower him in kisses, she grabbed his hand and thanked whatever powers that existed that they had both managed to stay alive and that they were safe. Whatever happened now, they would get through it together.

In their attentiveness to each other, they didn’t notice Cisco pause at the door and smile. Next to him, Jay sighed quietly and handed him a twenty. He never stood a chance. 

Lightning may be judgment, but that is not to say that the judgment is always bad.


End file.
